An Unexpected Visit
by Kagehime3
Summary: Always be suspicious when he does something considerate. Never trust a man, especially a demon, that comes bearing gifts. And always have something on hand to throw. Spoilers for chapter 51 and on. MephiShura.
1. Chapter 1

**My very first MephiShura fic! More friendship than romance, but I was inspired by Chapter 51 and needed to get this out.**

**_Summary:_ Stuck in a hospital bed, Shura Kirigakure is visited by the last person she would expect.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ao No Exorcist or the characters, they belong to Kazue Katō.**

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She groaned and stretched in her bed as a light breeze came through the window, rolling onto her side with a discontent mutter when some sunlight flashed into her eyes, preventing her from returning to the blissful sleep she'd been in. Another groan escaped her lips as she pried her eyes open, blinking in confusion at the white walls and thin curtains fluttering in the breeze.

This was definitely not her room.

A sharp pain in her side brought her back to the present, with a quick look at her wrist and the IV needle taped to it, she realized that she was in the hospital. It was then she recalled talking to Mephisto as he rebuilt the barrier, her injuries affecting her as she lost her temper with him. He caught her just as she fell; his smug look had her growling with annoyance as he lectured her about going to the hospital.

Looks like he got his way in the end.

A light snickering behind her drew her attention, twisting her head around to see a white dog adorned with a pink and white bow tied around his neck. She scowled at the way he could still look so smug and amused in that form.

"I'm glad to see you awake," he began before a flurry of smoke revealed the demon in his human form, bowing to her at his waist before glancing up with that arrogant smirk on his face again. "_My lady_."

"Shove it, Mephisto," she croaked, glaring at him as she tried to sit herself up in the bed. She ignored how he was watching her closely until she was comfortably leaning back into her pillows, her side aching and breath heavy from the movement. "What's going on? Have you heard anything from those kids?"

"I told you to worry less about them, and more about yourself." He narrowed his eyes on her as he took a seat at her bedside. His hands folded together, his chin leaning on them as he once again donned a smirk. "Besides, you should trust them to take care of themselves a little more."

She huffed and turned away, grumbling under her breath about him being far too relaxed about the fact they were taking on Lucifer and the Illuminati alone. She glared out the window for a few minutes before she felt herself get too anxious about the Esquires off on such a dangerous mission by themselves, she couldn't feel as easy about it like Mephisto did. With a low growl, she grabbed the edge of her blankets and tossed them off, gritting her teeth as she moved to swing her legs over the side of the bed.

Her injured side was screaming at her, but she ignored it in favor of escaping the bed and the hospital.

Her bare feet barely had a chance to brush the cool floor before she found gloved hands pressing firmly against her shoulders, drawing her attention to Mephisto as he glowered at her.

"My lady, you are to remain here and recover until the doctor clears you for duty again."

"I'm fine," she hissed, swatting at his hands even though they didn't budge. "Let me up."

"Fine. Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you." He let go of her to wave his hand in the air breezily, turning his back to her as if he was dismissing her entirely. She knew he wasn't, though, he was just waiting for her to fall again, to show she was weakened and prove him right. She growled again, she was that much more determined to show him she could still fight.

She managed to stand, her hand hovering over the nightstand next to her as she got her bearings. Once she felt confident, she removed her IVs and the sensors to the monitors, preparing to head toward the bathroom to clean up. She looked up to see Mephisto's head turned toward her, his eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat as he watched her stoically. He raised a brow in mild amusement when she huffed and took a step, wavering for only a second before she got her balance and let momentum carry her the few feet to the bathroom.

Once at the door, she turned to glare at Mephisto again, turning her nose up and slamming the door on him. She could hear his chuckling on the other side and was tempted to open the door again to throw something at him. She only refrained because there was nothing available, at least nothing as satisfying as a brick would be at the moment.

After taking a few minutes for herself in the bathroom, she finally came out to see Mephisto still standing there, leaning against the back of his chair with his legs crossed, his attention on a small coin he kept idly flipping between his fingers, even after his eyes landed on her filled with amusement. "Feeling better, Ms. Kirigakure?"

"I'm feeling fantastic, thank you for asking," she chirped with false cheer dripping from her voice. "What are you even doing here, Mephisto? I thought you were busy with the barriers?"

"I finished early this morning, everything is back as it should be," he explained. "After a quick nap, I thought I should pay you a visit to make sure you hadn't attempted to escape. Also, I thought it was customary to visit your colleagues while they were in the hospital?"

"Right, 'cause I'm sure you were _so_ worried about me," she drawled out sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "And it's also customary to bring flowers when you visit, but I don't see any bouquets to wish me well. Not even a dandelion."

"Oh, my apologies," he smirked again, his hand rising in front of his face as he spoke, "Ein, Zwei, Drei."

Another flurry of spoke followed a snap of his fingers. When it cleared, Shura was staring wide eyed at the room now filled with all kinds of flowers. Lilies, carnations, daisies, and quite a few that she had no idea what they were or where they came from, littered every surface and even the floor. Her eyes narrowed on a vase of red roses set on the nightstand next to the bed, a much smaller vase with three dandelions sat beside it. Mephisto stood there chuckling the entire time.

"Is this more to my lady's liking?" He asked, standing straight to once again bow at the waist, this time removing his hat in an over the top gentlemanly manner.

"Tsh, show off," she muttered, moving toward the pile of her things in the corner. She had barely taken her second step before a sharp pain burst from her wound, her teeth gritting as a hand went to push into her side in a vain attempt to ease the pain. Her vision spun suddenly and she felt her legs giving out on her again. Letting out a low curse she prepared to hit the floor, but to her surprise she was once more caught.

She slowly opened her eyes to look up at Mephisto's frowning face as it hovered over her own, his green eyes narrowed and annoyed while they bored into hers. She ignored the fact he was close enough to let her feel his breath fan over her face, as well as the fact one of his arms was comfortably wrapped around her waist. The arm he had wrapped around her shoulders shifted, holding her steady as he silently maneuvered his other arm under her knees so he could pick her up and cradle her to his chest.

"I do believe you need to remain here as the doctor ordered, my lady. If you go after the Esquires now, you will only be a further liability in their mission." He glared at her when she growled in irritation at his lecture, not wanting to admit that he was right, not when she was so worried about those kids. "Please act your age and do what you're told."

Her arms crossed in a huff, she let him carry her back to her bed and lay her down gently. She turned her face away from him to look out the window as he pulled her blankets back up to her lap, tucking her in without a word.

"Now then, since my lady has resigned herself to remaining in the hospital like I suggested," he spoke boisterously as he stood straight again, a finger rising in the air triumphantly before he snapped his fingers again. A plastic bag appeared in his hand once the smoke cleared, drawing Shura's curiosity as she tried to spy the contents. "I have taken the liberty of procuring a few things to ease your boredom." Her eyes lit up at the first item he pulled from the bag and held out to her. "Your game console. A necessity, I know."

She immediately snatched the handheld console from his hands and flipped it on. Maybe a short respite at the hospital wouldn't be so bad; she could finally beat that last level that she had been working on for days.

"I saw you almost had that game beat, so I brought a few new games in case you finish that one," Mephisto continued, pulling out three more games and setting them on the table next to her. He smirked when she looked at him curiously, wondering if they were some of his own, or if he had actually gone to the effort of buying her new games. "You can keep those." That was the only answer she got, but she shrugged and accepted the rare gift as he moved to pull more things from the bag. "And, of course, the latest volumes of your favorite mangas."

"Oooo," she looked in awe, grabbing the shoujo mangas from him and skimming through them to see which titles he brought her. She froze on one she recognized, but she hadn't been reading before, it was on her list of titles to start, though. She flipped it over, seeing the slightly worn spine signaling it was used, and glanced up at him in question.

"That's from my collection. I thought you might enjoy it. I want it back when you're done, though. I have the entire series; if you like it, I'll consider letting you borrow it." He explained, his voice low as he frowned.

"What's the catch?" She asked skeptically, incredibly wary any time Mephisto did anything that even looked remotely selfless and considerate.

"No catch," he waved off, though his frown suddenly turned back into that arrogant, knowing smirk of his. "You would think that after working together as much as we have, getting as close as we have," his voice got lower, clearly hinting at one particular event that involved her sitting in his lap before threatening him with a kunai to his jugular, causing Shura to narrow her eyes at him as he went on, "that you wouldn't be so suspicious of me."

"You know that only makes me more suspicious since every time I even come close to figuring out even a fraction of what you must be thinking, you end up doing something that leaves me with twice as many questions as I had before. So spill, what's the catch with all the gifts and niceties?"

"Just as I said- no catch. Though, I do hope that I may gain your cooperation in the near future should I need it." He trailed off as he took his seat again, his smirking never fading as he moved to pull out a manga for himself to read.

She glared at him for a moment, then realized it was futile, this was Mephisto she was dealing with, after all, and shrugged before turning back to her game. "So you're buying my loyalty. Never knew you could take such desperately low measures. Sorry, as nice as all this is, my priority is Rin's safety and growth."

She didn't see him glance up at her, his cheek leaning against his fist, mischievous green eyes shadowed by his hat. His smirk spread a little wider as he chuckled and turned his eyes back down to the pages in front of him, a barely perceptible comment left for her to mull over later. "That's all I could ask for from you, my lady."

Silence descended, only the occasional sound effect from Shura's game or the turn of a page from Mephisto's manga to break the atmosphere.

Until Shura's patience snapped and she turned to holler at him.

"What the hell are you still doing here, anyway!?"

"Everyone thinks I'm busy at the moment, and this is the absolute last place in all of Assiah that anyone would look for me…" He trailed off in a bored tone, knowing she'd get the hint.

She finally gave into her urge to throw something at him as the next moment one of the mangas resting on her bed connected right between his eyes, sending him falling back in his chair with a startled cry.

"Get out already!"

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**Now I just need another chapter with more interaction between these two again and I'll be a happy shipper... and maybe try to write stuff for these two more regularly. Anyway, since this is my first attempt at MephiShura, reviews are definitely appreciated. XD**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I do believe I'm going to turn this into an actual multi-chapter fic. Ideas are slowly coming to me, so might as well run with it. It'll be mostly interconnected one-shots that will diverge sharply from the canon story line after this chapter because I don't know what's to come with the canon story at the moment. So, since I'm expanding this fic, and turning it in the romance direction more, I'm upping the rating, too because I don't know what's gonna happen later on, ahahaha.**

**Anyway, this chapter came from a reviewer (maybe multiple) commenting on these two playing video games together. I thought it was a fantastic idea, so I went with it. Enjoy~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ao No Exorcist or the characters, they belong to Kazue Katō.**

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"You cheated!"

"A gentleman never cheats, Shura dear. I won fair and square, as should be expected. You're a hundred years too early to think you can beat me at my own game."

He loved the way she was growling as he smugly gloated over his most recent victory, the beautiful exorcist's face twisted into an angry sneer. It was a wonderful sight, one he relished seeing quite often that afternoon.

And then he heard a crack.

"Ahhhhh! That's a custom made Mephisto Special Pink controller! You're breaking it! You're breaking it! Stop that!" He hollered at the woman who had become so frustrated with her string of ten consecutive loses she was now gripping her controller as if it were his neck.

He had decided to visit Shura in the hospital again for a myriad of reasons. Not the least of which being that it annoyed her to no end when he showed up. He was also bored and finding it increasingly difficult to hide from members of the True Cross wanting to put him to work on the whole Illuminati situation, the best solution was to go where none of the exorcists would consider looking for him.

He placated her irritation by coming prepared again, his big screen flat panel tv now comfortably mounted on the wall, his own game console and stacks of games littering the room for their entertainment, and piles of snacks and beer the hospital had refused to give the bed ridden woman were now piled up around her. She was for once happy to see him…

Until he utterly destroyed her at his favorite fighting game.

"Ahhh! I just got this to replace the one Amaimon ate," he whimpered quietly after snatching the broken controller from Shura's hands.

"You did something, I know you did." Shura continued to accuse as he sat there watching the case continue to crumble in his hold. "Spill. What th' hell'd ya do to beat me like that!?"

"Hmpf," he sent her an unamused glare before snapping his fingers and replacing the broken controller with a new one. "I told you, I did nothing to alter the outcome of the game. It should be obvious that I am just far more skilled at it than you." He held out the new controller to her, his irritation still evident. "Now, if you don't believe me, then how about a rematch?"

She pointedly glared at the proffered controller, and then turned her gaze to him as she smirked, her finger pointing at the controller he had been using from the start. "Alright, but I'm not using that one. You might have rigged it, or somethin', so give me yours."

"So uncouth in your accusations, Miss Kirigakure, but fine, I shall be a gentleman and acquiesce to your demands." He smirked as well, and with a flourishing bow where he sat in his chair, he handed her the other controller. "Shall we make a wager this time?"

"Like hell I'd do that."

He chuckled at the refusal. Smart woman.

He leaned back in the chair he had pulled up alongside her bed, his boot clad feet stretched out to rest crossed on her bed, top hat sitting on her nightstand, and cape tossed over the back of his chair. He was quite at ease in her hospital room.

She had thrown a small fit earlier when he first made himself so comfortable, but that was what all the games were for- to calm her down. As fiery and uncontrollable as she could be, she really was quite easy to tame.

Or so he thought.

The renewed battle begun, and Mephisto was certain he would not lose. It was close, though, but this was his game, after all, and there was no beating him at it.

A concentrated hum that sounded suspiciously like a moan brought a tick to his eye, but he continued to focus on attacking her player. The shifting of fabric distracted him slightly, and he caught her stretching her legs out of the corner of his eye.

When had she shed her blanket? Was her robe always so short?

His eyes couldn't seem to help themselves as they traveled up the length of her creamy legs and up her body. Every now and then he'd dart his attention back to the game, just in time to defend from one of her attacks, or set off one of his own. To his annoyance his attack timing was off, not as perfect as it should have been, but he managed to land a good one that had her barely clinging to life.

A frustrated growl got his attention back to her again, and this time he felt his brow pull up appreciatively at the view he received. The top of her robe had slid off one shoulder, and as she moved to attack in a vain hope of using the last bits of her life meter to destroy him, she couldn't be bothered by the exposure she was giving him, even as it slipped open more and more. The only way the view could have been better would be if he were on top-

"Yes!" Her cheer cut off his train of thoughts, his eyes practically bulging as they snapped back to the tv just in time to see her character performing a special move that took his own out instantly. She had won. The vile woman had just defeated him, and he knew it was by no innocent chance.

"_You_ are the cheater!" He growled at her, turning to sneer at her as she looked at him with such blatantly feigned innocence he wanted to strangle her on sight.

"Why whatever do you mean?" She blinked coyly, a finger hovering over her slightly parted lips. Oh yes, he really wanted to kill her for daring to humiliate him in such a way. As his eyes narrowed on her, she dropped the act, turning to look haughty and smug and that homicidal urge was only growing with her mocking tone. "I won fair and square. You're a hundred years too early to think you can beat me at my own game."

With a snap of his fingers, every little treat and toy vanished from the room. Her startled look eased his mood a bit as his lips pulled up in an arrogant smile as he stood from his seat. "Then I think you have had enough fun and games for the day, my lady. I should bid you ado."

"Ah! Wait, that's not fair, ya sore loser!" She argued. "Ya won plenty, and now you're throwing a tantrum and refusing to share your toys the second ya lose once. Hard to tell if you're a centuries old demon or a toddler."

"If you think such base insults will convince me to return everything, then you are mistaken, my dear."

"Then you're just a coward who can't handle a little challenge when it comes your way. " She met his blank stare with an expectant one of her own. "How 'bout I even make a little wager with ya?" Her offer piqued his interest, he raised a brow signaling she continue. "Best out of five. I win, you leave all the stuff for me to play with while I'm stuck here. You win…."

"I win," he continued as she trailed off in thought, his smirking widening into a grin, "then you will owe me one favor in the future that cannot be refused, no matter the circumstances."

Her jaw dropped at what he wanted; no doubt her mind spinning around what the favor could possibly be, especially coming from him. He honestly didn't have a clue himself, but it was always good to be prepared. Softening her up to him wasn't doing anything to get her in his pocket, so might as well use the opening to his advantage.

"If you don't wish to owe me a favor, then I suggest you take this battle seriously." Another snap of his fingers, and everything returned. He took a moment to rake his eyes over her form one last time, getting his fill now so he might focus better during the game while also setting her on edge, and then promptly reclaimed his seat, his feet propped on the bed again as he smirked at her. "I know _I_ will be."

He watched her growl at his low, suggestive tone, his smirk only growing before he turned his attention to the game, signaling they begin. With a huff, she picked up her controller and the battle was on.

It was close, and as much as he hated to admit it, she was a worthy and entertaining opponent. Going into the fourth round, they were both sitting up straight, Mephisto on the edge of his seat, and Shura in the middle of her bed, legs crossed and leaning forward as she grit her teeth. It was one of the most heated battles he'd been in in decades, it was enough to make his adrenaline fueled blood thrum happily through his veins. He might have underestimated her before, but now he couldn't because it might very well spell death.

Her elated cheer had him biting back a curse.

They were tied now, going into the fifth and decisive battle.

There was no time to gloat, no time to posture; there was a fight to be won.

His frown was dark and threatening at the sound of the anime tune he had set as his ringtone that suddenly pierced the tense atmosphere of the hospital room. What a horrible time for an interruption.

"This is Mephisto," he answered coldly, not hiding his ire as Shura watched him curiously. His annoyance only grew at every word from the other end, eyes narrowing into a glare on the woman that she knew wasn't truly aimed at her. "Yes. Yes. I understand."

He ended the call without ceremony and stood up to reclaim his hat and cape, glowering the entire time. He hated when his fun and games were ended by inescapable duty.

"What the hell's going on?" Shura asked, as he knew she would.

He huffed then took a deep breath to calm himself again, a somewhat more serene smile gracing his face when he turned to her again. "It seems I'm being called in for a meeting," he took a step toward her to take a hand in his, his mood lightening at her annoyed glare at the gesture. He bowed low, raising her hand to his lips. "Unfortunately I have to cut our date short, my lady."

"Pull my hand any closer, Mephisto, and I'll tear yer mouth off with it," she warned lowly.

"Hmmm, that gives quite the invigorating thought." His smile widened, unabashed amusement glinting in his eye as he dared to brush his lips over the back of her hand, nothing more than a taunt. She could threaten all she liked, but they both knew who truly had the upper hand. He stood straight when she jerked back her hand, growling under her breath at him. He chuckled at her sour mood as he waved a hand toward the television and games. "I shall leave you with these for now. We will finish our battle another time, so you might wish to practice while you have a chance. I will not go easy on you."

"Hmpf, I should be sayin' the same to you," she taunted back, sending him a haughty smirk as she turned to play the game by herself, dismissing him entirely.

With another polite bow, he sauntered out the door, umbrella twirling in his hand as he headed for the hospital exit.

Oh, right, there was one more thing he needed.

Without warning, Shura found her game interrupted as Mephisto's far too happy face came onto the screen causing her to shriek in surprise.

"I almost forgot, but I need you to recover as quickly as possible," he explained. "The Vatican may call us in for questioning on the Illuminati, I will need you to give an accurate debriefing surrounding Takara-kun, Shima-kun, and Izumo-kun while I deal with the matter of my older brother declaring war on True Cross. So it would be prudent of you to help the students make it back safely in time for any trial. Ciao~!" With a wink, he popped off the screen, just in time for Shura's character to be destroyed by her opponent.

He chuckled to himself as he walked out of the hospital, his grin wide even as he heard her window slam open suddenly.

"Mephisto! You bastard!"

He really should have been more prepared for the Mephisto Special Pink controller that slammed into his temple a second later.

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**Also, random note on the end of this chapter and Mephisto's remarks on Lucifer: I re-read the festival chapters, and realized Shura's gotta know Mephisto's real identity at this point considering Lucifer was communicating with all of True Cross through the Seraphims, so she likely heard their conversation, also I suspect she at least knew Mephisto's status as a Demon King before since she knew he had some influence over Amaimon. At least that's what I'm going with at this point.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I'm getting this out way later than I planned, I'm sorry for that but it should be expected for this fic because I don't really have a plot or direction I'm going in, ahahaha. But, without further ado, a third installment~**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ao No Exorcist or the characters, they belong to Kazue Katō.**

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Shura entered the training room late that morning, clad in her purple robe and sandals, and stretching her arms over her head to relieve the knots and stiff muscles that still lingered after being stuck in a hospital bed for far too long. She was mostly healed now, and things had finally calmed enough for her to actually have a little fun and regain some of the strength she'd lost with her injury.

She was delighted that the remainder of her stay in the hospital was relatively calm. She still had all the toys and games Mephisto had left behind for her, but she didn't have to deal with him again save for an odd call or two with an update on the Illuminati situation. She could handle Mephisto only so much; between her endless suspicions of his motives, his eccentric personality, the way he always knew how to get under her skin, and the fact she could actually get along with him a small percentage of the time was exhausting in its conflicting nature. He confused her, he was an enigma she would never be able to fully understand and he knew it. One minute he could be a charming, arrogant asshole, the next he could be threatening her life without batting an eye, and then yet another he could be this strange version of nice and considerate even if it's mostly for his own gain. She just wished he would pick one and then she could form a solid opinion of him, one that preferably involved loathing him because that's what she'd rather do if only for her conscience's sake.

Upon entering the cage for the battle simulator, Shura grabbed a _bokuto_ and used it to finish stretching, sighing when a knot loosen, the slight popping sensation just what she needed before training. She decided that she wouldn't push herself too much that day, only a standard difficult setting for half an hour rather than the normal endless string of targets like she usually preferred.

"It's nice to see you up and about, Shura," the last voice she wanted to hear that day came from behind her before she could start up her simulation. She glanced back with a frown to see Mephisto standing in the lane next to hers, his hands perched on the top of his umbrella as he leaned forward slightly on it. He had his ever present impassive smirk on his face, as if he was silently calculating something, deducing how to play things in his favor. What that could be- she had no idea and didn't care to find out.

"Don't tell me ya came ta check up on me again, Mephisto," she said flatly while turning back to the console to finish entering her choice in. She was hoping he'd get the idea she wasn't too keen on having his company down there, but she knew that even if that were the case he wouldn't leave until he was ready to. "I'm perfectly fine, sorry ya don't get to see me stumbling around anymore."

"Really? Then why aren't you training at your usual level?" He hummed knowingly and moved to step toward her.

"Because I ain't an idiot who's going to push herself hard right out of the hospital. Anyway, what d'you care?"

"While you may be a high inspector of the True Cross Order sent to keep an eye on myself and Okumura-kun, you are still working under my Japanese Branch as an exorcist and teacher." He said, his voice far too close for comfort. Her back went straight while the grip on her _bokuto_ tightened to prepare to lash out at him if necessary. She was right to be on guard when during a short pause in his explanation she felt a very slight pressure placed against her injured side from the handle of his umbrella, a dull ache erupting from the spot immediately and sending her temper out the window. In an instant she was swinging at him only to strike thin air as he quickly jumped up, floating in midair above her as he stared down at her fuming expression with a serious gaze. "It is in my best interests to see you in good health right now." A grin spread over his face as he came back to the ground, his hands held up in front of him as a show of peace as he went on. "And I must say, I am quite pleased to see that you are fit for duty…. or almost, as it were."

"What d'ya mean _almost_, ya stupid clown?" She asked, straightening again as she let her temper cool, a hand going to rub at her once again aching side.

"That," he said, pointing at where she was holding her side, causing her to frown in irritation at him, "is what I mean. But, I know an exorcist of your caliber can easily overcome something as tedious as a bruise, so I'll let it slide."

"Tsh, it's just a little sore still." She grumbled, and then waved the end of her wooden sword in his face. "But now that you're satisfied, will ya let me get back to my training and get out of my face."

"Hmmm, no can do, my lady. I think today I wish to watch how you manage." She frowned at his back as he turned to exit out the gate, shutting it behind him before turning to send her a sly wink. "Just in case my impromptu assessment of your injury was off and you end up collapsing again. I would hardly want to miss that."

"If ya wanna watch so bad then get yer stupid ass back in here and let me use yer head as target practice instead!" She hollered, waving her _bokuto_ in the air as she fumed at his retreating back. He laughed at her anger, of course, and moved to recline on one of the weight benches where he immediately pulled out a handheld game console. "Tsh, you're not even gonna watch, are ya? You're just using it as an excuse to laze around again."

"Why Shura, I am offended," he said mockingly, not even sparing her a glance as he focused on his game. "I assure you that I am here as a representative of the True Cross looking to assess the condition of a previously wounded exorcist. I am not _lazing around_. Anyway, you're not exactly one to be pointing fingers, you know."

"Ha! Fine, ya got me there." She managed to smirk at him when he finally turned away from his game to look at her again, a hand perched on her hip and sword resting on her shoulder. "At least yer not running around as a cockroach to spy on me."

"I considered it, but you seem to have a knack for noticing me so I decided not to waste the effort." He chuckled lightly and turned his gaze from her again. His tone turned lower, a darkness creeping into his voice as he spoke that left her on edge. "Where you're concerned it's always best to be upfront, wouldn't you say?"

"Hmpf," her smile became slightly wary as she turned away from him, deciding it best to just focus on her training and ignore him, but not before muttering one last comment. "It's annoyin' that I just can't seem to figure you out."

"That's exactly how I prefer it, my lady." She wasn't surprised when she heard him chuckle under his breath right after, nor the remark he made as she started her simulation program. She knew that the closer she got to understanding him, the more he would just push her in another direction. Still, out of everyone around him, she knew she was the closest to gaining a bit of insight into his plans, if she wasn't, then he wouldn't bother threatening her so openly whenever she crossed a line.

As her training program started up and she began hitting target after target with ease, she felt her stress melt away, her mind focused on what was in front of her. She moved smoothly, each swing of her wooden sword natural. She could feel the muscles in her legs stretch and flex as she stepped side to side with grace as if she were merely dancing.

"You're looking very good, Shura," she heard Mephisto muse behind her again, but she didn't pay him any heed. "As expected of a Kirigakure."

"Hmpf," she chuckled smugly, her lips quirking into a smirk. "Quit with the flattery, Mephisto, it's creepy."

"And what exactly is so creepy about it?"

"Sounds like yer sizing me up when you say something like that. I can tell the wheels in yer mind are turning, calculating how you can take me out if I become a threat, or how you can use me to your advantage. Either way, sounds like yer stalkin' yer prey and that's creepy." She spared him a small glance back to smirk at him. "I already know that's what you do half the time anyway; I don't need the commentary to remind me'a that fact."

Mephisto chuckled again, shaking his head in amusement before letting out a sigh. "You hardly know what I'm thinking, my dear, but you aren't entirely wrong either."

She wasn't even looking at him anymore, but she knew his eyes were on her, the sensation of him staring sending icy chills through her veins and nearly making her falter in her exercises. She wasn't sure just how much she wanted to know what exactly she wasn't wrong about.

Silence overtook them as she tried to clear the lingering sensations of his eyes on her. Her mind focused on the targets firing at her, slashing each one away and forgetting once again that she was in the company of a powerful demon with whom she had no idea if she stood in his good favor or not. The sound of his game starting back up again managed to break the remaining tension in her, much to her relief as she let out a small sigh.

"Ne? Mephisto?" She waited until he hummed to acknowledge her so she knew she had his attention. "Did ya get yer stuff back from the hospital?"

"I did. Were they to your satisfaction during your stay?" He answered distractedly, his tone relaxed and almost normal.

"Yeah, thanks for leavin' that behind. Though I half expected ya to come back for them before I got released."

"I was unfortunately too busy to even consider it at the time. Well, I guess we can call it a reward for doing as you're told for once." His bored tone paused for a moment as a few shrill tones came from his game while he muttered something to him. She could hear his fingers pressing eagerly at the controls for a few moments before abruptly stopping with a satisfied grunt. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he had gotten distracted, but now his game was off and his full attention on her again, and she wondered if that was a good thing. "You just reminded me, though, that we never did finish our little match."

"Nope, we didn't. Guess it looks like neither of us won in the end."

"On the contrary, despite not meeting the requirements of the wager, you still came away with the reward. I cannot allow that to stand." Mephisto said lowly, and she turned slightly to look as he slowly got up from the bench he had been reclined on to saunter over to where she was. He stopped just outside the cage, his fingers curling around the wires as he grinned. "We'll need to rectify that, of course, but since you have no reason to follow through with the remaining match, I will give you the opportunity to change your wager and give you motive to play that last game with me."

Shura kept her back to him, not answering him for long moments as she considered the offer while finishing the last few minutes of her training. He didn't seem to be in any rush to get her answer as he stood back watching her intently, this time his gaze not feeling quite as penetrating on her back, but still no less unnerving to be scrutinized by him.

Leaving things unsettled left a bad taste in her mouth, honestly, but she would rather have the draw this time if it meant she could avoid the chance that Mephisto would win and be able to hold her to a single favor. Still, she also knew he wouldn't let things remain this way; he was never one to back out of a bet, no matter the situation, and he would hound her relentlessly until she gave in. She didn't have much of an option it seemed, but that was her fault for purposing the silly thing in the first place, at least he was giving her an option for a new wager this time.

What did she want from him, though? There was the obvious but even knowing that he honored his bets, she wondered if he could be trusted to answer her questions about Rin honestly if that was what she wagered for. It would certainly not be in his interests to do so, and then there was the chance that he'd just kill her after telling her everything and she really didn't want that to happen. Still, it could be worth a shot.

One last swing of her _bokuto_ and her session was complete, leaving her to turn and face the expectantly grinning Mephisto.

"So? What will it be, Shura dear?" He asked upon opening the gate to her and handing her a water bottle. She stared at the drink he offered her skeptically, knowing well enough she hadn't brought anything in with her which meant he had conjured it. "It's not poison, I swear on my honor as a demon and a gentleman." She sent him an even more skeptical look and he sighed impatiently. "Really? If I had any desire to kill you right now, poison would be the absolute last means for me to fall to. I'd rather you knew you were about to die at my hand than be left wondering."

"Well, I guess I can't argue that," she shrugged and took the water from him, taking a long drink and sighing in relief as her thirst was quenched after her small workout. "As for yer wager, if I turned ya down, you'd only hassle me about it, right?" His smile grew in answer and she let out an irritated huff. "Thought as much. Alright, if ya say I can change my conditions, then I'll take ya up on that last game, but let me think 'bout my wager for a bit first."

He raised a brow at the request. "I assumed that would be easy for you to decide on."

"Oh, I know exactly what I want if I win," she laughed and turned her back on him to head for the exit. "But when dealin' with you, I know I got to make sure my wording is exact so you don't find some loophole to screw me out of my part'a the deal somehow. See ya 'round, ya ugly clown."

As she walked out of the room with a small wave back, she heard his chuckle echo behind her. "Cunning woman."

* * *

**Oh, and another note, I am going to try to come up with a story that actually has a plot behind it, so when I do, I will probably end this one and focus on that. As much as I enjoy interconnected one shots, I really want to try my hand at something with more substance and action befitting these two. I'll keep you informed if that's the case, of course.**


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